I need some advice please

[lshrty]

We started and incubated 36 eggs back in August through two times of hatching. So the 2 different flocks are 21 days apart. They all did fine with introducing back then.Some didn't hatch, others hatched, but didn't survive. But we are now left with 23 within those 2 batches.

So here are my questions:

1. We have another flock of 9 hens (no roosters) that is about 1 1/2 years old and are in a different chicken coop. I would like to start introducing them to this flock in order to utilize the two hen houses. What type of tips can people give me? When I introduced
the others it was no big deal and everything went fine. I am noticing the rooster in the 23 flock is starting to do his thing... and I would prefer to take some of them out of there to distribute them a bit better.

2. What is the recommeded feeding for chickens. If I move the 3 monthers in with the 1 1/2 year olds should I put both types of food in the hen house? The 1 1/2 year olds are still laying about 3 to 4 eggs a day between all 9 of them.

I would appreciate all advice. Thanks!

 

[ChicKat]

It's tricky to introduce chickens together. I think that it is going to be a different dynamic in each and every situation. One thing that has worked for me each time I have 'combined' chickens is to do it so gradually that they don't even know it. First let them see each other, next let them free range on 'shifts', if there is free range space between their pens, so they can posture outside the runs (If you have different runs). Then let them free range together.... It may also help to put the new ones in the house of the old ones, and the old ones in the house of the new ones.

It's always going to be something that can be tricky though. Have places where the smaller ones can escape. If you have a particularly mean or aggressive chicken, perhaps isolate that one while the others adjust to each other ---

Good luck with it- Tell us what worked and what didn't. A lot is going to depend upon the personality of your chickens, their breed, the flock etc.

There are types of feed that don't contain extra calcium for laying hens...Flock Feeder and All Flock are some commercial names I think. You can give this type of feed to everyone...hens, chicks, roosters -- Then provide lots of supplemental calcium free choice for the layers. Oyster shell is cheap in feed stores around here...and crushed egg shells are even cheaper if you just save the shells from your chicken's eggs. My chickens prefer egg shells to oyster shells btw.

 

[lshrty]

First Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your answers. I have a quick questin. By given the chickens egg shells would that encourage them to peck at their own eggs?

 

[AllisonD]

I feed eggshells too, and if you crush them up to around the size of the oyster shell flakes, they don't even look like eggs anymore. I haven't had a hen try to eat an egg yet.

 

[ChicKat]

x2 Allison said it very well. :O)